C-Mode Scan and Resolution Improvement Techniques for Ultrasonic Diagnosis

This paper presents a new method for obtaining plane images perpendicular to the axis of the transducer and discusses some resolution improvement techniques utilizing a computer. The method, called C-mode scan, is carried out by successive application of a conventional B-mode scan, and supplies more information such as the outline, size, and extent of a lesion such as a breast tumor. To improve the resolution of a transducer, a deconvolution technique together with non-linear filtering are employed from a spectral point of view. Several clinical images produced by C-mode and the computer improvement of resolution are demonstrated.